Australia reclaims Chappell-Hadlee Trophy

Australia crushed New Zealand by 114 runs in the third and final limited overs cricket international on Thursday to regain the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy.

Written by Associated Press

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Hobart:

Ricky Ponting made an unbeaten 134 as Australia crushed New Zealand by 114 runs in the third and final limited overs cricket international on Thursday to regain the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy.

Ponting's 25th century in one-day internationals guided Australia to 282 for six wickets, batting first after New Zealand won the toss, and Brett Lee and Brad Hogg then shared six wickets as New Zealand was dismissed for 168 in 34 overs in reply.

Australia took the three-match series 2-0, convincingly winning the first and third matches while the second, in Sydney, was lost to rain.

Its series victory avenged New Zealand's 3-0 win in the series in New Zealand earlier this year.

Ponting scored centuries in both completed matches and was named man of the match on Thursday and man of the series.

His hundred on Thursday, a day after his 33rd birthday, was his first in a one-day international in his home state of Tasmania and put Australia in an unassailable position.

Ponting took his 134 runs from 133 balls with 10 fours and two sixes but showed his mastery of the limited overs game by seeding his knock with 60 singles, keeping Australia's run-rate up through the middle of its innings.